Dune HD just announced their 2018 product lineup - with a Realtek RTD1295-based flagship

16GB

ROM

2GB

RAM

4

GPU

4

CPU

Dune HD Pro 4K

OS

Wi-Fi

LAN

Gbit

CHIPSET

Realtek RTD1295

Rating

4 -
1

It's been a while since we got to announce a Dune HD product - if memory serves me the last device they announced was exactly two years ago, the SigmaDesigns SMP8758-based Dune HD Solo 4K.

Dune HD managed to stay away from the Android-based media centers far more than the other manufacturers, who abandoned the Linux-based "media players" years ago.
But now it looks like they are now ready to embrace Android ... sort of. They will keep the classic Linux-based Dune HD media center app they developed over the years, extending them with current the Android TV box functionality, so basically their clients will benefit from both.

Add that to the better-than-average hardware and top-notch software Dune HD is known for and you get some very interesting devices.

There are several new Dune HD Mini PC's, grouped in three distinct product lines:

One interesting feature is the Widevine Level 1 support, which is very rare in the Android TV box market, and will enable the Dune HD devices to run premium online video services (such as Netflix) in HD.
This feature alone could prove to be very important when compared with existing devices.

One other novelty is something called "Dune HD Android Playback Accelerator Technology", which "intellectually manages the resources of Android OS to minimize the influence of Android OS on the media playback engine and ensure smooth and high-quality video and audio playback".

There's an entire ecosystem that comes with the Dune HD devices, developed over the years and including all sorts of applications, plugins, extensions, GUI skins and other apps - but also the nice-looking movie collection - and all these will be available to the new devices as well.
The latest technologies are also embraced: 4Kp60, HDR, BT.2020, HDMI 2.0a.

By far the most interesting model is the Dune HD Pro 4K, but the others are also worth mentioning.
Here they are.

16GB

ROM

2GB

RAM

4

GPU

4

CPU

Dune HD Pro 4K

OS

Wi-Fi

LAN

Gbit

CHIPSET

Realtek RTD1295

Rating

4 -
1

Dune HD Pro 4K

This Realtek RTD1295-based Mini PC will most likely compete for the #1 spot on the top of the best media-oriented devices on the market.

We know already all the bells and whistles that come with the Realtek RTD1295 SoC (which was announced here on MiniPcDB for the first time).
When we add the Dune HD GUI and the Dune HD media center we get a device that gets the most out of the hardware and the software, and has an interface polished with the feedback received from almost one million users (yes, that many).

MSRP : $200

16GB

ROM

2GB

RAM

5

GPU

4

CPU

Dune HD Sky 4K Plus

OS

Wi-Fi

LAN

Gbit

CHIPSET

Amlogic S905D

Rating

4 -
1

Dune HD Sky 4K Plus

Sky 4K Plus is using an Amlogic S905D SoC and combines an Android Smart TV box with a DVB-T/T2/C receiver and 4Kp60 HDR media player.

It has a slot for CI/CI+ Conditional Access Modules and comes with 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, 1Gbit Ethernet, Bluetooth, and can accomodate an 2.5" SATA HDD.

MSRP : $210

8GB

ROM

1GB

RAM

5

GPU

4

CPU

Dune HD Neo 4K

OS

Wi-Fi

LAN

100M

CHIPSET

Amlogic S905X

Rating

4 -
1

Dune HD Neo 4K

The entry-level product line Neo uses S905X and S905D chipsets and some models also have DVB-T/T2/C tuners.

ROM

RAM

GPU

CPU

Dune HD Neo 4K T2

OS

Wi-Fi

LAN

CHIPSET

Dune HD Neo 4K T2

As the name suggests, Neo 4K T2 has the same features as the Neo 4K device but it also benefits from a DVB-T/T2/C receiver.

The SoC is also slightly different, S905X being replaced by S905D.

MSRP : $125

16GB

ROM

2GB

RAM

5

GPU

4

CPU

Dune HD Neo 4K T2 Plus

OS

Wi-Fi

LAN

Gbit

CHIPSET

Amlogic S905D

Rating

4 -
1

Dune HD Neo 4K T2 Plus

Finally, the Dune HD Neo 4K T2 Plus device has double the amount of RAM as the Neo 4K T2 and comes with 16GB flash (instead of 8).

MSRP : $150

There was another model briefly published on web, named Dune HD Pro 4K Ultra, which announced a premium Realtek 1296 SoC, 4GB RAM, Dual HDD Bays, XLR, ESS DAC, HDMI In for a MSRP of .... $800.
This one resembles (maybe a bit too much) the Zidoo X20 Pro, which will also be one of the most interesting Mini PC's in 2018.